


Her Words

by JulianChase



Category: Original Work
Genre: Death as a character, Emotional, Fiction, Grim Reaper - Freeform, Mysterious, Occult, Original Character(s), Original work - Freeform, Struggle, Supernatural - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-12
Updated: 2014-09-12
Packaged: 2018-02-17 03:58:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2295809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JulianChase/pseuds/JulianChase
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He doesn't know where he is or remember his name. But the word HER has immense, mysterious meaning to him. What or who is this her? He wonders a land unknown to him, struggling to survive. Is he alone in the world? He hasn't a clue. All he can do is place one foot in front of the other, with no certain goal in mind, except that of survival.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Her Words

**Author's Note:**

> The chapters are somewhat short, but I have several written. Will post them frequently.
> 
> And as always kudos are appreciated if you like the work. Thanks!

He wandered the barren earth all alone, but for his shadow. Was he the last one? He certainly did not have the answer to that question. He suspected he might have been. If he was to ponder the last time he had seen someone other then his own reflection, he would be hard pressed to have an absolute time frame on that. Was it a month? A year? Or was it just last night? Maybe time had no meaning. Maybe time was something he invented through the insanity that was his mind.

He wasn't sure. Time no longer held any meaning for him. And speaking of his reflection, he could no longer remember what he looked like. What did his voice sound like?

"Hello," he hollered into the desert winds. Oh, yes, it sounded like that.

Reassured, he pressed onward in hopes of finding water, of finding meaning to his life, of finding someone other then himself. How did he get in this situation? His memory failed him on that as well.

Her words.

Why did he have that sudden thought? He was no longer certain what the word her meant. He believed it to be someone other then himself, but other then that, he drew a blank. Not a single thing made sense to him anymore.

With much effort he continued on. He hadn't a clue why he didn't just simply give up. What did it matter? Something caught his eyes in the distance.

Was that an oasis before him? Or were his eyes playing tricks on him again? He trudged closer, praying it to be real and not yet another mirage that was there but to tempt him, there only to tease him and remind him of his worthlessness. And as he drew closer and the oasis grew to be more substantial, he allowed himself to believe that this one was not a mirage, not an illusion. He allowed himself the luxury of believing it to be real; believing the shade to be real and believing the life giving nectar that is water to be real.

And he was rewarded with that belief. The oasis was not fake. And as he knelt before the water, he stared at the reflection it gave off. Mesmerized by what he saw, his thirst for water was temporarily staved off. Was that him? Did that messy, shoulder length, sand encrusted hair belong to him? Were those his blue eyes? Was that his scar on his right cheek? Were those his bruises that marked his face? What had happened to him? He had forgotten what he looked like. And as the reflection reminded him of what he was, a grin spread across his disheveled face.

Maybe there is hope, he thought, as he cupped his hands and scooped up some water, ready to quench his most horrible thirst.

As his hands disturbed the glass like surface of the water, the desolation that was the desert began to rush by him as he was pulled beneath the now thrashing waves of the oasis. With all the effort he could muster, he fought the invisible attacker, its hands wrapped tightly around his wrists. But his fighting was to no avail. Whatever it was that had a hold of him had immense strength, and in his current condition, he was no match.

Violently, he struggled, despite the dawning realization that this was a battle with no possible victory. What was he to do? A part of him screamed, "Give up! It's useless!" But though he knew it to be futile, giving up was not something he could consider, fruitless though his struggle may have been. He just had to make it out of this desert. For reasons unclear to him, he had to survive. He had to live.

Her words.

There was that thought again. Who was this her? And why did her words matter?

"Don't give up on me," a voice rang out, penetrating his ears, down to his very being. He heard the words as if they were whispered directly in his ear, no... in his mind, even over the thrashing of the waves. 

Suddenly, a new surge of strength seemed to overwhelm him, allowing him to break free of the grasp of his invisible foe. Bursting from the surface of the water, he immediately took in deep gulps of air, struggling to breathe away the painful burning he felt in his lungs.

Relief washed over him in waves as he felt his lungs begin to finally calm and relax. He felt the cool breeze gently tickle his skin. He shut his eyes, enjoying the sensation. Wait, there was a cool breeze? Quickly, he opened his eyes again, taking in everything around him. What was going on?

Hadn't he just been in the desert? Of course he had. What was going on here?

He found himself laying on some soft green grass beside an old looking well. Where once there was an endless sight of sand dunes was now rolling hills of green. It's not that he didn't mind the change of scenery. The man who couldn't remember his name certainly preferred the hills and the cool air over the heat of the desert. But now he felt as though he were losing his mind.

Was it all an elaborate illusion? What trickery was afoot?

"Welcome Daniel," came a voice from behind him. It was filled with such serenity, that he felt like peace itself had touched him, had calmed him. What an infectious voice calling him Daniel.

Daniel? Was that indeed his name? He turned to see who was calling him by Daniel, but saw nothing more then green hills. Had he indeed lost his grip reality, forever to fall into a swirling abyss of madness? Maybe this was all his imagination and he really wasn't hopping between deserts and rolling hills of green. Maybe he was in a white cushioned room somewhere, rocking back and forth and sucking on his thumb.

But the voice… it did sound familiar. Should he know this voice? "Who are you," he yelled out as he searched the area wildly. "Show yourself!"

At first, only silence was a response. It enveloped him like an unwelcome friend. He wanted to know who it was that called out to him. Was he to be ignored. But then, "Who am I," the still serene voice asked. A few seconds passed, but it felt like forever. What happened to the serenity he had felt only split moments before? It was fleeting to say the least. "Suffice it to say that you know this answer, if only you should stand still long enough but to listen."

"Is Daniel my name," the wanderer inquired.

"Indeed, that is what I called you," the voice answered. "Remember to listen Daniel. And whatever you do, don't let Death take you."

Daniel felt the awful fear rise in his throat like a bile most acidic. But along with that fear came a whirlwind of confusion that left him feeling some how winded. "Death?” He took a deep breath to settle his nerves. “Like… like the grim reaper? Was that… was that what grabbed me earlier?"

"I'm sorry Daniel," the voice responded, seeming to come from all around him and no where at all. "But I must leave. I have run out of time."

"Wait," Daniel cried out, feeling panic smash any lingering bits of serenity that may have still resided in him. "Don't leave!"

"Remember," the voice said, fading out, growing too quiet. "Just listen..."

His voice, it really was quite familiar. Once again he pondered how he knew that voice.

"No," Daniel screamed. "What am I supposed to do? Where am I? Please, help me!"

Once more, silence was his only response. And this time, the boy didn't chime in a few minutes later. Daniel hung his head low, a feeling of defeat, of loss washing over him. "Daniel," he whispered to the desert’s ever changing floor. "That is my name, isn't it?"

A realization hit him suddenly and hit him hard like a sack of bricks. That was a child's voice, wasn't it? He could barely remember what his voice had sounded like earlier, but if he was correct, the voice that had just been speaking to him belonged to that of a young boy. Why hadn’t he realized that at the time? The strangeness just kept stacking up and up like a soon to topple tower of books.

What was he to do now? If he was to assume he wasn't really insane and that he really was in a pasture of green hills, than he had to move on. And if he was insane, would it not be all the more insane just to stand there like a bumbling fool? Moving on it was. He cast looks all around him but failed to discern any directions. North and south? Terms that mattered not. At random, he picked a hill and made his way toward it, hoping to find something reassuring on the other side.

For a guy with no memory of his past, for a guy wandering a strange and mysterious land filled with danger, there was much that could be said of him. Inherently, one could tell he was a good person, that he had no motive of ill intentions. All Daniel desired was to leave the scarce lands of the bizarre and return home.

Home.

He couldn't remember where home was or, in fact, what the term home meant at all. But feelings of pure joy, feelings of safety and of completeness filled him over the brim at the mere thought of the word.

"I wanna go home," Daniel whispered. A solitary tear trailed from his eye down his cheek, momentarily dashing the happiness he was just experiencing. It ever so slightly damped the parched sand of the desert.

Laughter suddenly echoed all around him, drowning out the welcoming quiet noise of the gentle wind. It was like no laugh Daniel had ever heard before, even though he could remember no laughter at all in his life. But some how, Daniel knew this laugh saturated in evil was new to him. It was laughter so cruel, so wicked.

A laugh of evil design, it sent chills down Daniel's spine, causing him to shudder in unadulterated trepidation. He wanted to run, to escape, but found himself frozen, numb with terror.

Frantically, he turned his body to try and pin point the location of the foul noise, his feet still motionless. He wanted nothing more than to go in the opposite direction of that noise, if only his feet would let him. When failing to locate the laughing being, he chanced a glance at the well.

Could he escape through that well, Daniel thought.

And still the laughing continued. It sounded like a laugh that was more than familiar with madness, with insanity. Daniel became all the more afraid.

He could feel the being's tendrils of evil trying to invade his mind, trying to take him, to darken his soul. His heart rate increased and his breathing became rapid. Daniel wasn't sure if he could fight off this evil.

"I love you Daniel," he heard the now familiar voice say.

Her words gave him the strength he needed to fight off his influence. "Stay out of my mind," Daniel spat at the evil being, pulling at his hair. “Stay out! Stay out! Stay out!”

The laughter ceased for but a moment, only to be replaced by words filled with intense, insidious malice. "You wish to go home boy?" The laughter continued again, but only for a second. Daniel turned, trying to see his latest foe. "I'm over here boy."

Daniel spun to see a sight most terrifying. His eyes widened with fear and dismay. He was looking at a shadow on a hill not a hundred feet away, but it was no ordinary shadow. It stood alone, cast by nothing or no one, but was shaped like a man. It was an entity all its own, and no doubt, it was an entity of evil incarnate.

Its red eyes were focused on Daniel so intently, it was if they were staring right through to him and into his soul. Daniel shook in fear at the thought of it.The shadow's hand was outstretched toward him. "I can take you home boy. All you have to do is take my hand. Trust me." His words were laced with venom most heinous.

The boy's words from earlier came back to him in a flash. "Don't let Death take you."

Survival instincts kicked into high gear and no longer was he frozen in place by fear, but in fact, he was running to live. He couldn't let the shadow take him. He musn't.

The evil laughter echoed around him again, seeping into his ears.

“Please honey," came her voice again. "Don't die on me. This is all my fault. Please Daniel, just come back to me. Please."

Daniel could hear the woman crying. It saddened him to hear such a thing.

He ran with fervor, driven by her words, her voice, driven by her tearful plea, by the very need to see whoever it was that was talking to him. But he wasn't sure if he could out run the shadow. He wasn't sure if he would live. But he would try, despite his chances.

And still, her words drove him.

Was escape even a possibility or was it just a fool's dream? Instinct told him his only chance was the well. Daniel felt silly for making a wild dash for the well, knowing there was the chance he would just dive head first into water, but knew it was most likely his only way to safety. He would never make it over the hill in time. And even if he did, that was no guarantee of survival.

"No you don't," the Shadow Man shouted, his voice dripping with evil most terrible. He sounded absolutely enraged.

Mentally, Daniel had started to refer to the dark entity as Shadow Man. It felt better then calling him Death; some how, less unsettling. Realizing Shadow Man had picked up speed, he did too, pushing himself beyond his limitations. He reached the well.

And then Daniel jumped.

Head first.

Right into the well. But not before he heard a roaring scream of frustration.

Daniel expected to hit water, but it never came. Instead, he was treated to a black vortex, swirling with many different colors. He really didn't want to go back to the desert, but felt he had no choice. Any place without Shadow Man was a place all ready better.

He lost all sense of direction, all meaning of time. The vortex twisted and turned in impossible angles and he wasn't sure how much time ticked by. Minutes or hours, he couldn't phantom which. Maybe it was neither. Time was a silly notion that kept pestering him. With a quick though, he waved the thought away.

His ears popped and he felt a head ache creeping up on him and then a nano second, he was no longer in the dizzy, spinning tunnel of the vortex, but in an old style, empty theater, with red curtains and giant chandelier and all.

Daniel looked around in confusion, mildly surprised. He had learned that the unexpected was should considered the expected around this place. It was better than the desert and by far preferable to any place Death the Shadow Man happened to reside.

Maybe there would even be a show. After all, he was in a theater now. He smiled at the thought. He could certainly use some respite.

Suddenly, the red curtains were drawn open, as if in response to his thoughts. Not knowing what else to do, he sat in the front row and kept his eyes on the stage. What was going to happen? Maybe some how this would help him.

A boy came on to the stage, wearing only a torn, bloody shirt and khaki shorts in similar condition. Daniel's eyes narrowed. The boy looked familiar. He knew that this boy was important, but couldn't cipher why. He waited in anticipation, figuring the red stains to be nothing more then stage blood.

And then he spoke. And immediately, he recognized the voice. "Welcome to the show," the boy said, bowing his head. "I'm glad to see you survived your first encounter with Death."

Daniel stood, walking toward the stage. "Your the boy that spoke to me earlier. Why did you leave me? Why didn't you help me?"

The boy's head dropped, a cloud of shame encompassing him. "I'm sorry for that," he whispered. "That shadow... it scares me."

Daniel frowned and felt same himself. "I'm… I’m sorry," he stammered. "I shouldn't have..."

"All the world's a stage," the boy interrupted, brightening up. "And all the men and women merely players."

"Huh, okay..." Daniel’s eyes were questioning.

"I love you Daniel," came the woman's voice, filling the theater as if spoken into a microphone.

"Listen to her words Daniel," the boy said. "They will get you through this. Every person is the star of their own show. But you... you are the star of hers. She needs you. You have to make it through this. You just have to."

"But how," Daniel implored. "I don't even know where I am."

"That's easy," the boy said, jumping off the stage and landing in front of Daniel, laying a hand on his chest. "Just search within yourself."

And then in a flash, he disappeared, leaving behind a floor length dressing mirror. Daniel saw his reflection again. But it was much different then the one he saw in the oasis. Was he younger? His hair was certainly shorter and cleaner. His eyes had more of shine to them. The reflection glowed brightly suddenly, blinding him for just a moment.

And no longer was he wearing dirty jeans. No longer was his shirt brown. He was dressed in a white shirt and khaki shorts.

"What the..."

More then ever was he confused. What was he supposed to do now?

Her words came again to him. "He has my eyes," she said gently. "I have to see those eyes again, filled with the life and joy that I love so much."

Looking down at the clothes he now sported, he couldn't help but wonder why he was suddenly dressed like the mysterious boy. He also couldn't help but wonder why he appeared cleaner, younger. But he shook his head, attempting to shake away the pesky, hindering thoughts. He had no time for that right now. Daniel had to move on. He had to figure out how to get home, because there was no doubt she was there. He wanted nothing more then to be around her. He couldn't remember her, but she felt important to him. So he had to get home, this place just wouldn't do. Plus some how, he knew the Shadow Man couldn't reach him there. He didn't know how he knew, but he did.

He turned around, deciding to jump back in the well to see where it may take him next, only to find it missing. Panic gripped him with a cold unrelenting iron fist.What was he supposed to do now? That well was the only way he knew how to get from one world to the next. He had started to assume it would be his ticket home.

"Calm down," he told himself aloud. "You can figure this out. You have to."

Was that door there before? He couldn't be sure, but he decided to try it. What other choice did he have? He saw no other way out and the stage, for some reason, gave him the heeby jeebies. He couldn't explain why.

For a few moments, he hesitated with his hand gripped tightly around the elaborate, ornamental bronze handle. A chill was in the air, stirring up feelings of dread. A part of him was afraid to open that door, and he would be lying if he said it was just a small part. The unknown was indeed a certainty in this place. And as of late, the unknown was a bit terrifying. Would the Shadow Man be on the other side?

"You know," she said, her voice floating through the air like leaves from a tree. "He has his smile. I miss his smile every day."

Once again, her words dashed away his fears, like a knight cutting down his foe in the field of battle. Hesitation now extinct, he pulled on the handle, flinging the door open. And once again, he was knocked back with surprise.

The scene was just so... normal.

It was a child's room, a boy's one in fact. Was it possibly the room that belonged to that boy that kept popping up out of no where? "Hello," he called out. His voice echoed as if he were shouting it from a cliff. "Little boy, are you there?"

When he received no response, he took it upon himself to take a look around. Everything was just so familiar, right down to the car shaped bed. Was this his first time here? Something told him it wasn't. He had been here before. But why? When?

"It's our room," came a familiar voice.

Daniel turned, seeing the boy again. He still wore the same clothes, blood stains and all.

"Our room," questioned Daniel, comprehension giving him the slip yet again.

Suddenly, the boy's head jerked toward the only door in the room; the door Daniel had come through. "He's here," the boy whispered, his face darkened with fear unbridled. The boy floated suddenly and then touched Daniel's temple. "Remember." And then he vanished without a trace.

At first, nothing happened. He stood there, confused as ever.

And then two things happened at once.

The door swung open, revealing Death aka the Shadow Man in all his evil glory, a sneer so wickedly frustrated painted upon his dark face.

And a memory came to Daniel's mind. A memory so stark in comparison to the evil creature before him.

He couldn't see himself. He could only see a man standing in front of him, wearing his army uniform. Either the man was really tall or he was sitting down or kneeling, because Daniel was looking up at him.

"I have to go for a while son," the man said, kneeling and placing his hands upon his shoulders. Still, he couldn't see himself. But it was as if he actually felt the man's hands touch his shoulders. Was he Daniel's father? "My country needs me. I will write you as often as I can. And I will think of you every day Daniel."

The man gathered him in an embrace and said, "I love you son. You best behave and do what your mother tells you, got it?"

Realization sank in. Yes, that was his father. A smile so pure flashed briefly upon his face.

Immediately, the memory faded, though it was still with him. The Shadow Man was only feet from him. His smile disappeared. "I have caught up with you Daniel," said Death, his voice most chilling. The Shadow Man advanced toward Daniel, his arms of shadow outstretched.

He really thought he was a goner. The Shadow Man's hands were gripped tightly around his neck. The situation looked utterly hopeless. Breathing was impossible, never mind fighting off the incarnation of Death himself. There was no longer anything he could do.

"Somebody do something," she shouted, her words ragged with raw emotion. “Save him!”

"I'm sorry," Daniel choked out, his eyes tearing up in pain. He knew she probably couldn't hear him, but still felt the need to respond."I tried."

He closed his eyes, prepared to resign himself to his horrible fate. He could feel Death taking him, could feel his soul begin to disintegrate, his breath escape him, planning to never return.

He saw no hope.

And then he felt his chest heave and a sound filled his ears like nothing he heard before. He believed it to be electrical in origin. And then he heard two things rub together and his chest gave another great heave. It hurt like hell, but it was a welcoming pain, for it made Death loosened his grip from around his neck. He felt the evil of the Shadow Man recede, and instantly, Daniel felt better.

Death roared, his mighty voice animalistic and maddening. His eyes glowed a wicked crimson red and he quickly shielded his face with his arms. And it was right then Daniel realized that a bright, heavenly blue light was emitting from his entire body, bathing everything in its heavenly glow. Daniel didn't have to shield his own eyes though. To him, the pretty blue light was actually quite pleasant. A smile crossed his face. He couldn't remember ever being this happy.

Something in his peripheral vision caught his eye. He turned to look at it. An open window, its red curtains blowing in, was where it had not been just seconds ago. Daniel saw this as a sign and made a wild dart for the window, and as usual, made a reckless, head first dive through it, but not before he heard Death yell for him one last time.

"Evade me all you want monkey," the Shadow Man hissed after him. "But you will be mine. It's only a matter of time!" The Shadow Man laughed maniacally.

He was thrown out of the now familiar swirling vortex he had jumped through and landed on a sidewalk. This scene was much different then the rest. It was heavily populated with people of all ages and with cars and buses. Car horns were blaring and people were speaking on their cell phones. Just out of sight, Daniel could hear the sound of a jack hammer, even though he hadn't a clue what the sound was himself. He looked at the nearby street sign. It said Broadway.

He looked up all around him, taking in the tall sights of the sky scrapers that adorned the sky. He turned to look at the building nearest him. "Red Curtain Theater" the sign read. Was this the same theater he had just been in?

A lady was standing outside, surrounded by several people requesting autographs. People kept getting in his way, so he couldn't make out her face. Someone moved and a wind picked up, and instead of looking at her face, Daniel concentrated on the slip of paper that flew from her hands into the busy street filled with yellow cabs, buses, and other metal objects of destruction on wheels. A boy slipped out of the crowd, intent on catching his mother's autograph.

"I'll get it mommy," he cried out, chasing for the paper that made its way to the street.

It's the boy, Daniel thought. He went to try to save him.

"Noooo," the mother yelled, immediately abandoning her throng of adoring fans.

That voice, Daniel thought. Without intending to, he was stopped in his tracks by the sound of that voice. Was that her? Was that the one who had been giving him the strength to move on?

Was it too late to save the boy?

Daniel ran for the boy, but it was indeed too late. In the blink of an eye, the boy was hit by a cab. Such a gruesome sight to behold, Daniel wanted to look away, but found his eyes fixated beyond his control. He stood frozen on the sidewalk and at first didn't notice the pedestrians running right through him. The mother ran to the kid, shouting out, "Daniel!” Her face was all ready streaked with tears. “Someone call 911!"

"Daniel, baby," she cried out. "Please, don't die on me!"

Daniel, Daniel questioned silently. His name's Daniel too?

It was then that he noticed a business woman went right through him, talking into her ear piece, either ignoring the scene or failing to notice it all together. But it barely phased him. He ran for the boy, more concerned for his well being then for his suddenly insubstantial body.

"Be okay Daniel," he whispered. “Please be okay.”

And then he saw him. It wasn't the Shadow Man that stood over Daniel's bloody body. It was a man, but he was glowing with a heavenly golden light, glorious, white wings protruding from his back. "It is not your time," he said, his voice like a beautiful instrument.

But then the Shadow Man did appear. "Who are you," the angel asked, a sword of fire appearing in his hands. The angel’s voice sounded divine, holy, filled with such righteous command.

And then countless other Shadows appeared around him. "We want the child's soul," they said in unison, as they converged on the angel.

Angel, Daniel thought, the word sounding foreign to him, but right all the same. Yeah, that's what he is.

The angel fought valiantly, his blade of fire swinging through shadow after shadow, sending the evil creature off to oblivion. Three shadows converged on him and a blast of light emitted from him, destroying many around him. He thrust his mighty blade into the chest of one and knocking back others with his powerful wings. But there were far too many of them. Try as he might, they just kept coming. When it became obvious he was going to lose, he laid a hand on Daniel's forehead and suddenly Daniel's spirit came out of his body and then was gone in a blinding burst of light.

And then the angel died, his last breath escaping him. Many evil shadows still stood around. In seconds, though, they all converged into one being. It was the Shadow Man Daniel had been running from. He gave a blood curdling scream and then disappeared, no doubt in pursuit of the boy's spirit.

And then the boy's spirit appeared next to Daniel. He looked down at the boy in surprise. "Daniel," he cried out. "We need to hide you!"

"I'm fine," the boy whispered. "Or should I say, we're fine."

"Are you dead," Daniel asked.

"We are not yet dead," the boy replied.

"We?"

"You are me Daniel," the boy said simply. "And I am you."

Daniel's brow knitted in frustrating confusion. "I don't get it," he said. "That... that's impossible."

"Let me show you something," he said grabbing on to Daniel's hand.

They vanished and appeared in a living room. It was a beautiful room with pictures of the family adorning the mantle above the chimney. The boy's face was present in almost all of them, along with the woman and man that looked like him, only older.

"Is that me," Daniel asked, picking up the picture that had an older version of him in it.

"That's your father," the boy replied, his voice serene as usual. "Our father... or was."

"Was?"

"He died in war," the boy replied.

Daniel felt a sadness creep upon him. "Oh," was all he could manage.

"Let me show you something," the boy said, walking across the living room and picking up a photo album. He brought it back and flipped through the book. He pointed at a picture of him. "That's our dad."

"No," Daniel said, shaking his head in desperate denial. His eyes began to tear up. "That's me! I’m the guy in that pitcture."

"No," the boy insisted. "That's our dad when he was only seventeen years old." He grabbed Daniel's hand. "You are me," he said again.

Daniel cried out no over and over again, shaking his head and falling to his knees. Tears streamed down his face, soaking the white shirt he wore. Where the tears fell, they turned red, staining his white shirt. Soon, he had blood in all the same spots as the boy.

His eyes grew wide in shock at the sight of his shirt becoming stained with blood that were once his tears.

The boy continued. "You didn't want to be you anymore. You wanted to be your dad because you missed him so much. You were in the desert because that is where our dad died. You went to those hills because you remembered them from that time we vacationed to Ireland. That was our last, happiest moment with dad. And then the theater, because that is where you remember our mom being happiest... on stage."

Tears continued to streak down Daniel's cheeks.

"But truth be told," the boy whispered. "Mom is happiest with us."

Daniel smiled. Finally, he choked out, his voice hoarse, "I am Daniel. You are Daniel." His breathing became more rapid. "I am you."

The spirit of Daniel immediately fused with Daniel's body and then his body began to shrink until he was once again his twelve year old self.

And that is when the Shadow Man made his appearance. "I will finally have you," he said, walking calmly toward him.

"No," Daniel shouted out, backing away.

The Shadow Man laughed maniacally. “Yes.” He sounded like a snake.

And suddenly, a man in black robes with a scythe grasped in his bony hand appeared. Daniel couldn't see his face, but he knew he didn't want to.

Daniel felt a fear like no other and felt his chances for survival were minuscule, all but gone. "Mommy," he said.

"Come back to me," she said, her voice wrought with desperation. "Please."

And then the man in black robes swung his mighty weapon. Daniel closed his eyes. And a piercing scream of agony tore through his soul. But it wasn't his scream.

Quickly, he opened his eyes. The evil Shadow Man was gone, but the man in robes still stood. Daniel couldn't see his eyes, but he some how knew the man in the robes was looking right at him. His voice rang out. It was raspy and unpleasant, but evil it was not. "I'm sorry for your ordeal. Many grim reapers have gone rogue I'm afraid, but the situation has been resolved little one. It is not yet your time."

And then slowly, Daniel's eyes opened. Everything was too bright at first for him to make anything out. But as his eyes began to focus, he saw his mother's head lying down by his side. Daniel smiled. "I have your eyes mommy," he said, smiling. His mother's head jerked up, a smile instantly upon her face. "And his smile."

"Oh Daniel," she cried out, throwing her arms around his neck and giving him a hug Daniel never wanted to end.

For a while, he had dreams of a strange and wonderful place. The memories of the Shadow Man would have no doubt given him dark and terrible nightmares, but within seconds after awaking from his coma, the evil entity was cast from his mind.

But for always he had a love for life he never lost touch with. He was lucky, he knew. And whenever there was a shadow out of place, for reasons unknown to him he thought of angels.

And he never, not even for half an instant, took his mother for granted. She was his hero.


End file.
